


Responsibility: the Director's Cut

by CatMoran (akaCat)



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-01-09
Updated: 2006-01-09
Packaged: 2017-10-10 06:40:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/96726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akaCat/pseuds/CatMoran
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodney feels betrayed when he finds out John has a teenage daughter. (Not-as-badfic "director's cut" of <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/96725/">Responsibility</a>.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Responsibility: the Director's Cut

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Responsiblity](https://archiveofourown.org/works/96725) by [CatMoran (akaCat)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/akaCat/pseuds/CatMoran). 



The Daedelus had arrived that morning with a fresh load of mail, supplies and personnel. Rodney had quickly collected his portion of the booty: a two months out of date copy of the International Journal of Quantum Physics, and his personal supply of premium coffee and dark chocolate (70% cocoa.) He was now sprawled in his favorite chair in their quarters, trying to consume all three before he was ordered to take charge of his newly arrived, very likely dangerously incompetent, scientists.

Or he had been, before John made that worrying noise. The strangled choke wasn't entirely unusual, but Rodney was used to hearing it in slightly different circumstances. Like, when they were both horizontal. Or at least, not sitting on opposite sides of the room. And the hot little whimper-moan that generally accompanied it was missing.

Rodney looked up. "John?"

John made a vague hand-wavy gesture with one hand, still looking down at the thick sheaf of papers clutched in his other hand. Unfortunately, outside of missions and military exercises, John's hand-wavy gestures weren't nearly as articulate as one might hope for. For instance, Rodney couldn't tell if this particular gesture meant "the enemy is approaching", "help, I'm choking" or "go away." Or possibly "aircraft three is cleared for takeoff."

"John, nod once for 'I'm choking' and twice for 'I'm just responding so you'll leave me alone.'"

John shook his head in a slightly shocked, very distracted manner, holding the papers out in Rodney's general direction. That was all the invitation Rodney needed; he walked over and grabbed them.

He skimmed through them quickly, went back through to read a few of the highlights in more detail, then jammed them back into John's hands. "You...!" John looked up at Rodney, his face more blank than afraid.

Rodney stomped to the other side of the room, pacing back and forth and muttering to himself. Finally he turned to face John. "Tell me, just how many more are out there?"

John's puzzlement was clear in his face. "How many more what?"

"Offspring! Children! Fruit of your loins!"

John giggled a little hysterically at the last phrase.

Rodney continued, "Just how many ports did you leave women and... and... families! in?" He stomped back over to John, poking a finger into the other man's chest. "How many more-" he broke off to grab the papers back, reading from them quickly, "*Allison*s are out there?" He said the name as if it was a word questioning the marital status of a person's parents.

"Rodney." John spoke quietly, but grabbed Rodney's wrist before he could step away. "Laura -- that's Allison's mother -- is my ex-wife."

Rodney's mouth dropped open. "Your... but I thought you... You're gay!"

"Well, yeah." John shrugged. "I'm sure you're heard of repression? It's very popular in some circles. Like the American military."

Rodney tentatively pulled his arm free and dropped to the bed. "When? How long? *Why*?"

"Fifteen years ago, about the time I was finishing up my MS. Laura and I lasted less than a year; we split up before Allison was born. What with my being stationed everywhere I barely even met my daughter. As for why: I know this sounds lousy, but it's good cover."

Rodney waved sadly at the papers. "I guess you'll be leaving Atlantis, now. Soon, if Laura's prognosis is as bad as it sounds."

John sighed. "I don't want to leave, *please* believe that. But. Laura's right, there's no way she can give her parents custody of Allison. And neither of us has any other family. Anyway, it's not forever. Allison's got to be in high school by now; I can come back as soon as she's settled at college." He tried to smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Rodney shook his head. "Nope. Once you take on this kind of responsibility, you can't come back." John's face paled. "Not every kid is as anxious to get away from their parents as both of us were. And it's one thing for your kid to be in another country, even another hemisphere -- but it's a little difficult to get to another *galaxy* if there's an emergency. So. There's nothing else for it... I'll just have to go back with you."

"You'd do that for me?" John looked almost as stunned as he had a few minutes before.

"You're a little rarer than a wormhole; it just makes sense for me to stick with the more valuable commodity."

"You do know that this will entail regular contact with someone under the age of 30? Who doesn't hold any advanced degrees?" John looked worried, but a grin was beginning to break out across his face.

"Yes, well, both of those conditions can be cured with time. And hopefully she's at least as intelligent as you are. This Laura person is intelligent, right?" Rodney scowled at John.

John shrugged. "She graduated cum laude with an MS in physics at UCLA."

"Well, I guess that's something." Rodney stood, grabbed John's hand and started tugging. "C'mon, we need to talk to Elizabeth if we're going to leave with the Daedelus."

John allowed Rodney to pull him to his feet. "Rodney, the Daedelus doesn't leave for three days."

"And do you know how long it's going to take me to turn my science department and all of my projects over to Radek? Three days isn't nearly long enough!"

* * *

Rodney should have been suspicious the instant Elizabeth implied she'd been expecting them. He should have sent an email to Radek, dragged John aboard the Daedelus, and gotten an early start on an eighteen-day pseudo-honeymoon trip back to Earth.

"Gentlemen, please have a seat." Elizabeth waited for them to sit, wearing her diplomatic smile. "I assume you're here because you've seen the new personnel roster?"

Rodney fidgeted in his chair. "Hmm? No. Elizabeth, we have something important to tell you." Rodney forced himself to pause, to give John a chance to tell Elizabeth about his daughter.

John frowned. "What about the personnel roster? Is there a problem with one of the new people?"

Rodney protested, "John, forget the roster and get on with it. Lorne can deal with whatever the problem is later."

Elizabeth glanced at Rodney before she answered John. "Well, I don't know if it's a problem, per se. Rodney, this is somewhat personal-"

"Oh, fine! Just what we need around here, more secrets!" Rodney scowled at John.

"-would you like John to leave so that we can speak alone?" Elizabeth finished.

"Me? What's going on? And no, of course I don't want John to leave."

"All right. Do you remember approving the application of an applicant identified as RMM?"

"No, what-"

"Twenty-one, doctoral candidate in particle physics at Stanford? Had some theories on wormhole physics in normal space that you claimed were 'fascinating, although idiotic'?" Elizabeth prompted.

"Oh. Yes. Actually, I believe I used the word 'interesting'. What about it? Him? Her? We really are on sort of a deadline here-"

Elizabeth turned her tablet screen to face them. They both leaned forward.

"Rodney McKay Miller." John read the name at the top of the file out loud, then turned his head to stare at Rodney.

"Someone named their kid after me?" Rodney's face brightened for a moment before the scowl broke out across his face, stronger than ever. "But, in ...1985? Why would-? Nobody knew who I was back then. Why-?" Rodney began to feel as if his brain was trying to move through molasses.

"Is there something you'd like to tell me, Rodney?" John looked distinctly unhappy. "Maybe about a woman at every college campus?"

"But, I was seventeen! That was the first- This has to be a coincidence. Elizabeth-?" Rodney looked at Elizabeth, waiting for her to tell him that this was all a coincidence. Or a not particularly funny joke. A joke that would require serious payback.

Elizabeth looked at him pityingly. "I'm sorry, Rodney. It's no coincidence, and there's no mistake. The SGC ran a test against your DNA profile and verified Mr. Miller's claim. That's why there was no personally identifiable information in his application." Silence filled the room.

Rodney turned to look pleadingly at John. "John?"

John sat stiffly for a moment before standing. "Elizabeth, I'll be by later to speak with you." He bent to speak quietly in Rodney's ear, "it looks like you have a new responsibility here."

Rodney watched, stricken, as John walked out the door. After a moment he stood. "Elizabeth-"

"You'll talk to me later?"

Rodney nodded and hurried out the door after John. He caught up with him just in time to slip into the transporter after him, and followed on his heels all the way to John's quarters. John ordered the door shut behind them. He turned and looked at Rodney, his arms crossed and his face closed off.

"John- I'm sorry. I mean, I had absolutely no idea, or I would have told you. And I swear, I've always used protection except the one time- not that there've been *that* many times-" He broke off at the vaguely disbelieving look on John's face.

"How can you be sure-"

"Which woman it was? Hello, Big Dork on Campus here. Four years younger than my classmates, braces, acne- do I really need to spell it out for you?"

John smirked. "Don't tell me it was your first time?"

Rodney blushed and looked away.

"Aw, hell." John ran both hands over his face. "I-I'm not really mad at you. But what're we going to do about this? We've got kids in two different galaxies, now."

Rodney stepped closer and bumped a shoulder into John's. "Nothing's changed. I just need to meet with Miller and tell him 'sorry, should have phoned ahead, I'm headed back to Earth.'"

John just stared at Rodney.

"What?"

"That's pretty cold, don't you think?"

"Well, maybe, but-"

John plowed ahead. "What would you think of me if I just sent back instructions to put Allison in a boarding school? Kids need a family, Rodney."

"John," Rodney said, gently rubbing the other man's arm. "This is nothing like you and Allison. Or you and your dad. This Miller is twenty-one, already working on his doctorate, and made up his own mind to come to another galaxy. I'm sure he's got a family, probably complete with a stepdad. If he didn't, his mom probably would have tracked me down for child support."

John leaned into Rodney's hand. "Just, talk to him before you decide anything, okay?"

"Okay." Rodney nodded.

John frowned a little at the lack of an argument. "Promise?"

"Yes, I promise. But I guarantee, you and I will both be on the Daedelus when it leaves."

* * *

Rodney did as he promised and spoke to his son. He was relieved, but not really surprised, to hear that Miller was mostly disappointed because he wouldn't get a chance to work with Rodney.  He did suggest that Rodney stay well away from his mother... Apparently she was a little over-protective and had only allowed her son to go to a top-secret location on the understanding that his biological father was already stationed there.

Rodney and John went back to Earth together, on Daedelus' return trip. There were no attacks on the ship, viral or otherwise. They still somehow managed to not get bored.

Allison's mother lived just long enough to see Allison reunited with her father.

So that Allison could stay in her hometown, John retired from the Air Force and took a job with a DoD contractor that designed jet engines. On his 39th birthday, Rodney surprised him with a helicopter to play with on weekends.

Rodney resigned from the SGC, although he helped them out a few times, strictly as a consultant. He won a sizeable research grant from the US government and used it to browbeat one of the local universities into giving him tenure. Within five years the previously average physics department ranked in the top three in the US. Rodney took credit for it, but claimed to have nothing to do with half the department's faculty having nervous breakdowns and leaving during the same period.

Rodney Miller remained on Atlantis, except when he was offworld with SGA-1, and eventually took over as the head of the Science department when Radek retired. He and Rodney wrote to each other occasionally, but they never really got to know each other. Neither of them was particularly bothered by this.

John and Allison bonded over Ferris wheels. He turned out to be very good at the emotional aspects of being a father, and pretty awful at all the practical aspects. Rodney, surprisingly (or not), turned out to be good at the practical side of parenting, and helped John stay on track.

Rodney and Allison were wary of each other from the moment they met, but once they got to know each other they argued incessantly on every topic imaginable.

Rodney took one look at Allison's physics book her junior year of high school and called the school in disgust; he wound up teaching AP physics at her school the rest of that year. He was heard to say that it may not have been a total waste of his time when Allison received her MS in particle physics. He stopped complaining about it entirely the day she was awarded her doctorate.

Allison and Rodney never admitted to anyone that they grew to care about each other and eventually love each other as a father and daughter. But John could tell.

And they all lived reasonably happily ever after.


End file.
